HWA is selling car wash tickets for awareness

By Haywood Waterways Association | Jul 30, 2014

Haywood Waterways is selling Autobell Car Wash Full Service car wash tickets throughout the month of August. Tickets are $15.99 with half of the proceeds benefiting HWA’s water quality improvement work. The tickets have no expiration date and can be used at any location in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, which makes them great gifts and stocking-stuffers.

Tickets can be purchased through Haywood Waterways at 476-4667 or at info@haywoodwaterways.org. Tickets will also be on sale at the Frog Hop Festival on Aug. 2, the Waynesville Craft Beer Faire on Aug. 16 and Canton’s Pigeon River Fest on Aug. 23.

A full service car wash includes interior vacuum of carpets and seats; exterior car wash including wheels; dash, door panel, and console wipe down, interior window cleaning, and hand-dry by Autobell staff.

HWA’s fundraiser is helping raise awareness of the potential negative impacts of car washing. Cars washed on driveways result in soapy water running down the closest stormdrain. The dirty water not only contains detergents, but also oils, gasoline, exhaust residue, rust and other chemicals picked up from the road. Once the dirty water enters the stormdrain it is dumped, untreated, into the nearest waterway. Many soap products contain phosphates that can cause algae blooms. When the algae die, decomposing bacteria rob oxygen from the water, which kills fish.

Washing cars at home can also waste water and money. On average, it takes 116 gallons of water to hose-wash a car. A better option is to use a car wash facility that recycles water and removes pollutants, such as Autobell. Owners that hand-wash their cars should use these tips to help protect waterways:

— Use bio-degradable soap

— Wash on the lawn so the ground absorbs the dirty water

— Use a hose nozzle to reduce the amount of water used

Haywood Waterways Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to protect and improve surface water quality in Haywood County for all users. More information is available at www.haywoodwaterways.org.